Molecular and Immunological Basis for Vaccine and Diagnostics against Melioidosis

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the bacterium responsible for melioidosis, an infectious disease with high mortality rates. The organism is classified as a potential biothreat agent and the development of effective vaccines and rapid diagnostics is a priority. The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) expressed by B. pseudomallei is a highly conserved virulence factor and a protective antigen and is considered an attractive antigen for use in the development of both vaccines and diagnostics.

The present study, elucidates the mode of binding between the murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) 4C4 and the capsular polysaccharide and highlights the essential role played by the O-acetyl moiety of the polysaccharide, a key finding in the rational design of vaccine candidates. This established the suitability of mAb 4C4 for use in an antibody-based detection assay for diagnosis of B. pseudomallei infections.